# US 2021/0171990 A1 · Energy production with hyperthermophilic organisms

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- Number: US 2021/0171990 A1
- Document ID: US20210171990A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 17/180,378
- Filed: 2021-02-19
- Published: 2021-06-10
- Earliest claimed: 2006-07-18
- Assignees: Hyperthermics AS
- Applicants: Hyperthermics AS
- Inventors: Jan Remmereit; Michael Thomm
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20210171990A1

## CPC

- C12P 7/54: Acetic acid (vinegar C12J)
- C02F 3/34: characterised by the microorganisms used
- C12M 21/02: {Photobioreactors (culturing algae A01G33/00, A01H4/001, C12N1/12)}
- C12M 21/04: {for producing gas, e.g. biogas (digesters for manure with production of biogas A01C3/028, biological treatment of water, waste water or sewage C02F3/00, C02F11/02, preparation of natural gas or syngas C10L3/06, C10L3/10)}
- C12M 23/58: {Reaction vessels connected in series or in parallel (combinations of bioreactors with other apparatus, C12M43/00)}
- C12M 41/18: {Heat exchange systems, e.g. heat jackets or outer envelopes}
- C12P 3/00: Preparation of elements or inorganic compounds except carbon dioxide {(recovery of carbon dioxides as by-products C12F3/02)}
- C12P 5/023: {Methane}
- C12P 7/10: substrate containing cellulosic material
- C02F 11/04: Anaerobic treatment; Production of methane by such processes
- C02F 2301/106: Thermophilic treatment
- Y02E 50/10: Biofuels, e.g. bio-diesel
- Y02E 50/30: Fuel from waste, e.g. synthetic alcohol or diesel
- Y02P 20/129: Energy recovery, e.g. by cogeneration, H2recovery or pressure recovery turbines
- Y02W 10/33: using wind energy
- Y02W 10/37: using solar energy
- C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)}
- C02F: TREATMENT OF WATER, WASTE WATER, SEWAGE, OR SLUDGE (separation in general B01D; special arrangements on waterborne vessels of installations for treating water, waste water or sewage, e.g. for producing fresh water, B63J; adding materials to water to prevent corrosion C23F; treating radioactively-contaminated liquids G21F9/04; regeneration of reactants for recirculation into processes, see the relevant places for the processes)
- C12M: APPARATUS FOR ENZYMOLOGY OR MICROBIOLOGY; {APPARATUS FOR CULTURING MICROORGANISMS FOR PRODUCING BIOMASS, FOR GROWING CELLS OR FOR OBTAINING FERMENTATION OR METABOLIC PRODUCTS, i.e. BIOREACTORS OR FERMENTERS}
- Y02E: REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

The present invention relates to the field of degradation with hyperthermophilic organisms, and in particular to the use of hyperthermophilic degradation to produce heat and energy rich components including hydrogen and ethanol from a biomass. In some embodiments, a biomass is fermented in the presence of hyperthermophilic organisms to produce heat. The heat is used to heat a liquid which is used directly in a heat pump or radiant heat or to produce electricity or drive a steam turbine. In some embodiments, acetate is utilized as a substrate to produce energy by methanogenesis.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process comprising:
a) providing
i) organic matter, and
ii) a population of at least one genus of a hyperthermophilic organism;
b) degrading said organic matter by fermentation or by an-aerobic or aerobic respiration in the presence of said population of at least one genus of a hyperthermophilic organism to produce hydrogen and a liquid fermentation broth comprising acetate, and
c) introducing said liquid fermentation broth from step b) into a methane bioreactor to produce biogas in a second fermentation process.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said organic matter is selected from the group consisting of sewage, agricultural waste products, brewery grain by-products, food waste, organic industry waste, forestry waste, crops, grass, seaweed, plankton, algae, fish, fish waste, corn, potato waste, sugar cane waste, sugar beet waste, straw, paper waste, chicken manure, cow manure, hog manure, switchgrass and combinations thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said a population of at least one genus of a hyperthermophilic organism is an anaerobic hyperthermophilic organism.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The process of claim 3, wherein said anaerobic hyperthermophilic organism is selected from the group consisting of the genera Pyrococcus, Thermococcus, Acidianus, Palaeococcus, Thermoplasma, Pyrobaculum, Pyrolobus, Pyrodictium, Methanotehrmus, Methanopyrus, Fervidobacterium, Thermotoga, and combination thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said hyperthermophilic organism is Thermotoga microorganism designated strain MH-2 having the Accession No. DSM 22926.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said organic matter has been previously fermented in an anaerobic system in the presence of methanogenic microorganisms.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said degrading in step b) is in the presence of a cell density of said microorganism of greater than 109 cell/ml.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said population of at least one genus of a hyperthermophilic organism is cultured under anaerobic conditions on said organic matter so that said population of at least one genus of a hyperthermophilic organism reaches and maintains a stationary phase; and maintaining said population of at least one genus of a hyperthermophilic organism in a predominantly stationary phase; and removing said biogas from said culture.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said organic matter contains a human pathogen; said population of at least one genus of a hyperthermophilic organism is cultured under anaerobic conditions on said organic matter at a temperature of 80° C. or higher; said culture is maintained at temperature of 80° C. or higher so that said pathogens are destroyed to provide a decontaminated organic matter residue; and said decontaminated organic matter residue is processed.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said organic matter is a hydrocarbon composition.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein said degradation with said hyperthermophilic organism is in a liquid medium that comprises less than 0.2% NaCl.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11, wherein said degradation with said hyperthermophilic organism is in a liquid medium having a NaCl concentration range from 0.05% to 0.2%.

### Claim 13 (depends on 11)

The process of claim 11, wherein said NaCl concentration ranges from 0.1% to 0.2%.